Shade-roller-operating mechanism



A. B. COLLINS. SHADE ROLLER OPERATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 27, I919- Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

l/VI/ENTOR J 4110mm A. B. COLLINS. SHADE ROLLER OPERATING MECHANISML APPLICATLON FILED OCT- 27, I9I9. 1,348,928.

. Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

2 SHEE'ISSHEET 2.

ALLISON B. COLLINS,'OF DENVER, COLORADO.

SHADE-ROLLER-OPERATING- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed. October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALLIsoN B. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Shade-Roller-Operating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in shade-roller-operating means- The object of the invention is to provide mechanism for this purpose, whereby the shade or curtain is manually raised, but lowered by gravity said mechanism being adapted to stop and hold the shade at any desired point, as it is raised or lowered.

Further, to provide mechanism for operating shade rollers, comprising a bracket or support for one end of the roller, a dog and ratchet mechanism, and operating cord connected to said roller and said dog and ratchet mechanism whereby the shade is manually raised, but drops by gravity, the pulling action on said cord causing the dog to release the ratchet, and thus permit the free movement of the shade either up or down; the dog being thrown to engage the ratchet when the cord is released, the said construction obviating the use of the commonly employed roller actuating spring.

the accompanying drawings;

Figure 1 is a front view, showing one end portion of a shade and its supporting roller, and the combined supporting and operating mechanism at this end of the roller.

Fig. 2, is a v'erticahsectional view on the line 22 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3, is a sectional view through one end portion of a shade roller, showing the reel and ratchet device which is attached to this end of the roller.

,Thenumeral 1, indicates a shade roller, one 'end portion only of which, is shown, it being unnecessary to illustrate the complete roller, as the other end thereof is provided with the usual fixture, which is supported in the usual form of bearing bracket. To this roller a shade 1 is secured in the usual manner. Upon the end of the roller illustrated, is secured the reel and ratchet mechanism, which is arranged and constructed as follows:

A pin 2, is driven into the end of the roller, and this pin has secured thereon, two spaced disks 8, one of which lies against the adjacent end of the roller. The pin is enlarged in diameter between these disks, to form a shoulder 2 which rests against the inner disk and clamps the same against the end of the roller, the enlarged part of the pin forming the spindle portion of the reel. A ratchet wheel 4, is formed on the pin ads joiningthe outer face of the outer disk 3, and the outer end of the pin is slightly reduced in diameter, and is supported in a ,hole 5, in a bracket 6, which may be secured either upon the outer face of the window, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or upon one of the side faces of the said frame. hen secured upon the outer face of the frame, the part 7 of the bracket, through which the securing screws or nails pass, is bent at right angles to the part 6; but when it is desired to support the shade roller, between the side members of the window frame, the bracket which, about midway of its length, is given a few turns around a pin 11, one end of this spring being extended under and against .the dog 9, while the other end thereof, is

bent under the lower edge of the bracket 6. The free end of this spring, being under tension, exerts an upward pressure against the dog which normally holds it in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 4. A stop pin 12, which is secured in the arm 8, and engages the under'edge of the bracket 6, limits the swinging movement of the arm 8, under the action of the spring 10.

The lower end portion 13 of the arm 8, is bent inwardly at right angles to the arm, so as to lie on a horizontal plane, and this horizontal portion is formed with a slot 14.

By reference to Fig. 2, a W111 a seen that the slotted portion 13, ofthe arm 8 is not in vertical line with the pivot 15 of said arm, but on one side of the pivot,and on the side. next the window. The object ofthis arrangement of the arm 8, will be presently stated. The disks 3, together with the pin 2, constitute a reel; A cord 16, is secured at one endto the axial pin of the reel (the shade being at the limit of its downward movement) and this cord is wound upon the reel in an opposite direction to that in which the shade-is wound upon the roller, a sufiicient length of the cord being woundupon the reel to insure the raising of theshade from its lowest-to its highest point, when the cord is drawn upon. The free end of thecord is passed through the slot '14:, in the horizontal member 13, of the arm 8, and extends to within convenient reach of a person operating the same; When the shade is unwound, the cord-iswound, and viceversa, and by drawing down on the cord .when the shade is down the rolleris ro-.

tated as the cord is unwound from the reel, and the shade is thereby raised. By reference to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the arm 8, lies at an inclination to the vertical,

its pivot 15, being on one side of the axis of the roller, while its slotted portion, through which the operating cord 16 passes, is substantially in a vertical line with the axis of the roller. From this it will be seen that when the cord 16, is drawn upon, the arm 8, is'swung to the position shown in dotted lines, in which position, the dog 9, is out of engagement with the ratchet wheel 4:, and the shade, if down, is raised to the desired point, and upon releasing the cord, the spring 10,'throws the dog into engagement with'the ratchetwheel, and the roller is held against backward rotation.

If the shade is raised, and it is desired to lower the same, it is only necessary to draw on the cord, by which the arm 8, 1s

' rocked, and the dog 9, thereby disengages from the ratchet wheel; then by letting the cord slip through the fingers, the curtain is permitted to drop by gravity to the desired position, where 'it' will be checked and held,

by releasin g the'cord, which permits the springcontrolled dog to again engage the ratchet wheel.- Excessive outward 'move-' ment of the arm 8, is prevented by a stop 17, on the bracket 6, which engages a projection 18 on the upper end of the said arm 8. i i

With rollersequipped with mechanism as above described, the shade is raised manually, and loweredby gravity, and positively stopped and held at any desired point in its upward ordownward movement, the construction ehmmatmg the usual tension spring with which the roller isprovided.

In Fig. 5, is'ilhistratedthe' application of ent roller, the usual pawl and ratchet mechanism is omitted, the spring 19, serving to roll the shade upon the roller when the said shade is lowered. Upon the upper member ot'the window frame, is mounted a double reel, comprising the axial pin 2, and ratchet wheel 4:, and three spaced disks, which form two reels 21 and 22. One end of the pinis mounted in a bracket" 23, and the other end thereot is'mount ed 'in' a bracket'6, in all'respects simi-' lar .to the bracket shown inFigs. 1 and 2, and having the pivoted arm 8, with the dog 9, which engages the ratchet wheel 4." The operating cord 16, extends from the reel 90 21, and through the slotted end of the arm 8, as in Figs. '1 and 2, and a cord 2 1, is secured at one end to the shade, its other end being secured to and wound uponthe reel'22, the cord being; wound in a counter direction to the c0rd'16. When thecord 16, is drawn upon, the shade is raised against-the tension of the spring'-19,

.16 is released to allow the spring actuated do to engage the ratchet wheel 4.

l -laving described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: g I

1. In shade roller operating mechanism, the combination with a roller having a shade thereon, of a bearing bracket-tor one end of '115 the roller, a ratchet-wheel 'on the roller, a spring-actuaed depending arm' pivoted to said bracket, having a dog in normal engagement with the ratchet wheel, the lower end of said arm being out of vertical line with its pivot, and having a slotted horizontally disposed portion, a cord wound upon said roller in a counter 'directionto the shade, and extending through the slotted portion of the arm, and adapted to be drawn uponto rotate the roller and raise the shade and at the same time. swing. the arm and hold the dog out of engagement with the ratchet; wheel, the shade being permitted to dropby-gravity when the dog is thus held, and the cord permitted to slip through the fingers, the arm being rocked by its spring to throw the dog into engagement with the ratchet wheel, when the cord is released.

2. In shade roller operating mechanism, the combination with a roller having a shade thereon, of a bearing bracket for one end of said roller, a reel on that end of the roller next the said bracket, and a ratchet wheel thereon, a depending arm pivoted to the bracket on one side of the axis of the roller, having a dog, and a spring for normally holding the dog in engagement with the ratchet wheel, the lower end of said arm being out of vertical line with its pivot and terminating in a slotted horizontal portion; a cord wound upon said reel in a counter direction to the shade and extending through the slotted portion of the arm, and adapted to be drawn upon to rotate the roller and raise the shade and at the same time, swing the arm and hold the dog out of engagement with the ratchet wheel, the shade being permitted to drop by gravity When the dog is thus held and the cord permitted to slip through the fingers, the arm being rocked by its spring to throw the dog into engagement with the ratchet wheel, when the cord is released, and stops for limiting the movement of said arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALLISON B. COLLINS.

lVitnesses:

G. SARGENT ELLIOTT, ELIZABETH SMITH. 

